My Best Friend's mom....

Life is not fair... most of the times! But we tend to live on with compromises and adjustments...

I've always been prompt in keeping in touch with my friends, whether they do it or not. I find it amusing how I have so much patience to keep the one sided (my side) communication alive even when I keep getting dead ended responses! (Believe me, there are a few people out there who give these responses and say that's how they are!!!)

But even after all this... I am at fault for one mistake in my life for which I will never be able to forgive myself... never ever!

I joined 'my school' (Kidland) when I was just 3 years and 4 months old... joined directly in Jr.kg. In my quest to find a friend whom I can relate to I found Alok...
I don't remember the incident, or the age when we got along as good friends... but yes he was (and still is) my first and best friend. 'His mom' was a gem of a person, always smiling, loving, caring and resembled my mom so much that people used to ask whether they are siblings!
My mom and his mom just got along so well... there wasn't a day when they didn't meet or didn't talk.

Alok, his younger brother, his parents and my family got along amazingly well... we were almost like family friends! We used to stay back at each other's place, have fun, jokes, stories, games,... there was so much to do...

His mom was a wonderful cook, I still remember the delicacies she used to make especially when she knew I was going to be around, her raw jack fruit sabzi, lotus roots sabzi, aaloo sabzi, rotis, dal, pickles, mmm... the list keeps going on and on... I always saw her smiling and giving love. I can't even remember a single moment when I saw her yelling at Alok or his brother, or getting irritated on anything, or expressing her dislike for a person or thing. An amazing mother, wife, friend, auntie, and human being!

Alok and I studied together till 10th std and then my family relocated. We both got busy with our respective college lives, studies and then professional life... We tried to keep in touch, but somehow the frequency kept reducing! We never realised how important it is to be in touch with people who have been and will always be an intrinsic part of our lives...

I had met Alok around 2 years back and we chatted for really long... we had caught up with each other after almost 9 years then. There was so much to talk... somehow his mom's topic skipped us. (His mom was on bed rest then, recovering from a major back operation... which I got to know of now)

After that meeting, we lost touch again... and just some days back got in touch through a common friend (Sushant). Today, Alok called me and we spoke at length about work, life, meeting up... and the topic came up when I asked him about his mom... My whole world shattered when he told me she is no more... passed away around 2 years back!!!

I just am not able to come to terms with the fact that she is no more... I had not met her since really long, but always missed her, her smile, loving and caring nature, the delicacies she made for me.... And now when I look back, its just not right on my part... I am at fault, I didn't keep in touch! Alok kept trying to contact me on my cell phone, but I had changed my number by then and he could never share his loss. I wish I could've been around when they really missed me so much... I am sure she must've thought about me at least once... and for that one moment I wasn't around!!!

I'll never forgive myself...

People like her are so rare... maybe that's why god takes them away!
I wish I wish I wish.... (I would've kept the friendship alive all the while...)

May her soul rest in peace!!!